Blossom: From One Journey to the Next

By Jessica Steidl

This must read book is about learning to lean on God and walk with Him through the pivotal four years of the life of a college girl. This devotional, filled with real-life experiences, inspirational quotes, and thought-provoking questions for you or a group of your friends, will help you blossom into the woman God has intended you to be. The lif

• Language: English
• Publisher: NOW SC Press
• Release date: Oct 16, 2017
• ISBN: 9780998739137

Book preview

Chapter One

Hope

For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. ~ Jeremiah 29:11

I walked out of my dorm room building, holding a notebook and a folder against my chest. I wore my favorite tank top with white Converse shoes. As I stood at the crosswalk waiting for the light to turn, I watched the waves of students pass by me on their way to the first day of classes at the University of Central Florida. My stomach was a jumble of nerves in this new environment, with new people, new expectations, but above all, I felt one powerful emotion: Hope.

My slate had been wiped clean. As I looked at the students near me, they didn’t know me. I could be whoever I wanted to be and do whatever I wanted to do. All this hope bubbled up inside of me as I dreamed about what these next four years of college would be like. The possibilities seemed endless to make new friends, join some clubs, discover my career, and make memories that will last forever.

I went to college two hours away from my hometown. I thought this would give me the perfect amount of freedom, while still being able to drive home on a whim (or when I needed to do my laundry). When I said goodbye to my parents after move-in day and settled down on my freshly made dorm bed, I thought I was so ready to be away.

But oh, how I was wrong. Two hours after settling in, that hope quickly turned into pure panic. I was a wreck. I cried a ridiculous amount in the shower, desperately needing and missing my parents, my home, and my old room. Those cold, cinder block dorm room walls were daunting and unwelcoming.

It took a couple of days for me to adjust, as it probably will for you too, but then after I started classes, I was able to get into a routine, make new friends in my classes, and start to embrace this new adventure. That strong emotion returned: Hope.

I almost wished I had a guide for college that would have taken away the surprises. I’d know my major, who I would be friends with, what my purpose was, and where I was going in the future.

In the end, I’m glad I didn’t have anything like that. The beauty of college is experiencing new things, forming surprise friendships, discovering your passions, and enjoying life. We don’t need to know how everything will play out because our loving God already does. He knows what decisions we’ll make, who we will call our life-long friends, and what career we will have! Phew, we don’t have to plan it all out because God has already done that.

I asked one of my friends what her two biggest expectations were as she entered her freshman year of college. She thought she would become best friends with her roommate and that her classes were going to be extremely hard. But it turned out to be the exact opposite in both cases. She realized that she wasn’t necessarily going to be best friends with the first people she met. And classes are only as hard as you make them because there is so much help that is offered through your teachers, study groups, and tutoring.

Those first few weeks of college are overwhelming, but try not to get caught up in all these grand expectations and miss the experiences right in front of you. Hold on to hope, and try to look at these four years as a chance to step into the person God is leading you to be.

Hope is defined as a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen. We have all felt hope like that, especially before a pivotal moment in life, like going to college. You start out so hopeful for what the next four years will bring. They are supposed to be the best years of your life, right? But, there is a lot that you will be faced with during college that will rock you in multiple directions.

Through this book, I want to make you aware of these different trials. I want to help you be prepared, maintain your hope, and come out victorious through Jesus Christ. So, grab your coffee mug and let’s talk about how to get the most out of your precious college years!

Think about the prophet Jeremiah; he was filled with hope when he went to Judah to proclaim God’s Word. He was doing God’s work, after all, and he had been called to do it, so naturally, people would want to hear his message, right? I can imagine him riding into Judah, eager to share the Word.

Except the people in Judah didn’t listen to him. They called Jeremiah a failure; they tried to drive him away. How discouraged Jeremiah must have felt. He was in a new territory, just like I was at college, trying to live out God’s plan for his life. Jeremiah couldn’t see it at that moment, but God had great plans for him. Jeremiah had hope because he saw the bigger plan. We can have boundless hope knowing that God is the author of our stories. He goes with us as we fulfill His mission. We just need to listen and obey. God is holding us in His hands, and He will take care of us. That is where you can find your hope.

God used Jeremiah to bring the people of Judah back to Him. Jeremiah’s speeches had a purpose for God’s kingdom. We all have a purpose here on this earth. Right now, you were placed at that college for a reason, as part of your path for God. Do not let the enemy tell you that you have made a mistake or you should have gone to a different college, because that will rob you of your precious seed of hope.

Yes, the four years you are embarking on will be challenging. There will be days when you question your choices, days when you want to go home, days when you want to give up. Don’t. Look for your hope again. Our God has such a grander plan than we can ever imagine and that plan will surpass your wildest dreams! He will bring you to places you have never dreamed of.

Soak that in. If we can train our mindset to be hopeful, this college thing will be an experience filled with joy! Say goodbye to self-doubt, perfectionism, stress, and control. And welcome our God in. All it takes is allowing a seed of hope to blossom within you.

Maintaining that hope

There are three key points I want to share with you on how to maintain your hope through your college years and beyond.

1. The Source

I want you to look up Romans 15:13.

I pray that God, the source of ____, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you ____ in Him. Then you will overflow with confident ____ through the power of the Holy Spirit.

I know this is just a fill-in-the-blanks exercise. But the blanks that are there serve a purpose. A purpose of focus. The words you write on those lines will help you remember what is important.

Romans 15 tells us to let God be the source of our hope. Joy and peace will all come when we put our trust in the One who loves us and orchestrates our life. When we put God at the center of our life, we will not dwell on all the stress, disappointments, and challenges. We will not let those things destroy us.

Allowing God to be the source of your hope is like a weight off your shoulders. You can finally breathe again! Let that constant worry about what will happen next fly out the window. Doing this will truly change everything in your life. You will have joy knowing that God is a good Father who loves you. The Holy Spirit will fill you with peace, and you will